Do Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries Really Work?

Rechargeable hearing aids are designed so that you’ll have to stress less about losing battery power, but the technology may also make you slightly nervous when you depend on your devices to hear. Do rechargeable hearing aids work as well as advertised or do they even work at all?

Those questions are understandable, as is the accompanying anxiety. A hearing aid is often as necessary for the enjoyment of a television show or a movie as it is for a trip to the supermarket or any other part of day to day life. When a piece of technology impacts so many aspects of your life, it’s important that it work properly and reliably.

How Do I Know What Kind of Battery I Have?

By default, most contemporary hearing aids have rechargeable batteries, so if you got your hearing aids recently it’s likely that your hearing aids will have one of two battery types. Silver-zinc batteries, which have a battery door on the back, are rechargeable, but the batteries might need to be replaced every so often. A Lithium-ion battery, however, will not have a battery door because the batteries will last as long as the hearing aid does.

How to Care For Your Rechargeable Hearing Aid

For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. As battery technology has advanced in the last few years, the reliability of these devices has increased considerably. In order to increase dependability, however, there are a few maintenance measures users can take as they would with any other electronic equipment.

The Charging Station is Where Your Hearing Aids Should be Stored: If you regularly store your rechargeable hearing aids on their recharging station you can increase the life of your battery. Charging a battery that is not fully drained does not reduce the long term life of your battery. In fact, you can actually improve the battery life by making certain your hearing aids are charging when not in use. A simple reminder, for most people, to charge their device when not used, is to set the charging station on a table next to their bed.

Be Mindful of Wires: Either the hearing aid itself or the charging station will have some type of wire element on most hearing aids. Most hearing aid users are counseled to be aware of these wires; do not pull or hold your device by these wires as this will damage the connections that enable your hearing aid to charge.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry and Clean: Your hearing aids will collect moisture, dust, and debris regardless of how often you use them. Your hearing aid may not completely charge if it is subjected to any of these three elements. That’s why it’s essential to keep your hearing aids clean and dry particularly when connecting your hearing aid to its charging station.

How to Change a Rechargeable Battery

If you have lithium-ion batteries, they will probably last as long as your device does. Consequently, you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing those batteries. Simply continue recharging your hearing aids as long as necessary.

However, you will need to periodically replace the batteries if you have a hearing aid that utilizes silver-zinc batteries. The lifespan of your battery can be increased by replacing them in the correct way. As a result, most people who use these hearing aids are counseled to:

Keep batteries in a room temperature spot that is also certain to be dry.

Don’t get rid of any packaging or plastic tabs until you’re ready to use batteries.

Confirm that your battery compartment is clean and free of moisture.

Before changing batteries, make sure you wash your hands.

Five minutes before removing any tabs that might be attached let the batteries sit at room temperature.

Non-Use For Long Periods

If you are planning not to use your hearing aids for long amounts of time, leaving them on the charger might no longer be the best way to store your devices. If, for example, you know that you won’t be wearing your hearing aids for several weeks or months, you can just unplug the charger and store your hearing aids in a cool and dry place.

If your hearing aids use silver-zinc batteries, you might also consider leaving the battery door open so that you can prevent moisture from corroding your batteries.

Rechargeable for Everyday Use

All your general needs should be met if you charge your hearing aids once per day. To get 24 hours worth of battery life with a lithium-ion battery will usually only require 3-4 hours per day.